In the stillness of the early morning, nine young women once threaded needles and operated machines to meet factory targets.

Now, the hum of machines has been replaced by the quiet of lecture halls, as they begin a new chapter of learning, ambition, and opportunity at a leading university.

They now stride through the luminous corridors of the Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chattogram, their hands no longer calloused from fabric work but filled with notebooks and dreams.

Their transformation — from factory floor to university classroom — reads almost like fiction. But it is a true story, made possible through the partnership between Team Group, a leading Bangladeshi apparel manufacturer, and Inditex, the global fashion giant behind brands like Zara.

Nishat Anjum Nizhum, once a junior quality inspector, still remembers the first time she saw her name on the acceptance list.

Nishat, along with Sumaiya Akter, Sumaiya Misu, Mousume Akter, Nipa Moni Akter, and Mumtarin Ferdous — all from Four A Yarn Dyeing Ltd, a concern of Team Group — joined three others from Gramtech Knit Dyeing, Finishing and Garments Industries Ltd: Trisha Moni, Tania Akter, and Sumaiya Khatun.

All nine had once left school after their Higher Secondary Certificate exams to help their families survive.

University was a dream pushed aside by necessity — until Team Group introduced a special scholarship in collaboration with Inditex, designed to give promising women workers a second chance at education.

Through a rigorous selection and testing process, the women proved their academic ability and resilience. Now, they are enrolled in a five-year programme — two years of foundation studies followed by three years of undergraduate coursework.

Inditex covers everything: tuition, accommodation, food, and even monthly stipends to support their families back home.

Abdullah Hil Nakib, Deputy Managing Director of Team Group, expressed his pride and optimism for the group’s future:

‘I hope to see them succeed in the years ahead. I want to see them shine like stars in the limitless sky of Team Group.,’ he said.

Nakib said that when the women return after completing their degrees, they would not go back to their old positions. Instead, they would rejoin as officers, managers, and leaders — a transformation he described as a shining example of women’s empowerment in Bangladesh’s garment industry.

Inside AUW’s classrooms, the nine women now sit side by side with students from across Asia — from war-torn regions and rural villages, all chasing new beginnings.

For the first time, they write essays instead of production reports. They learn economics, gender studies, and english literature.

In a world where the garments made in Bangladesh travel to every corner of the globe, these nine women are weaving a new kind of fabric — one made of courage, education, and opportunity.